Similar to his last appearance Saturday, which many considered his best, and the one before that, which was equally as satisfying, Rondon's outing Monday was arguably his best yet as he went toe-to-toe against the heart of Washington's battle-tested lineup.

Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche -- there's a reason the Nationals are considered the favorite to win the World Series.

The result? Another scoreless frame, highlighted by two impressive strikeouts. Rondon's only blemish? A one-out walk, which -- upon second glance -- should've been a punchout, too.

As for those control issues, which accounted for six walks in his first four appearances this spring? They appear to be a thing of the past.

Whatever mechanical tweaks Rondon made two weeks ago, at the suggestion of pitching coach Jeff Jones, is seemingly paying off day by day. (For the record, Jones suggested he stop standing so upright on the mound and keep his legs more involved in his delivery.)

Rondon has walked only two batters his last five outings, including one Monday when his full-count pitch to Harper narrowly missed the inside corner. Upon second look, it appears plate umpire Paul Nauert made the wrong call.

It mattered little as Rondon, who was credited with the win, blew away LaRoche with a triple-digit fastball, reminding critics why the Tigers weren't fretting two weeks ago.

There was no stadium radar gun at Space Coast Stadium, but the first pitch he threw to both Werth and Harper touched 100 mph on a scout's radar gun seated in the stands.

Impressive, yes. But it was his strikeout of Zimmerman which was perhaps most notable, getting the All-Star third baseman to chase a deceiving slider for strike three.

Despite the walk to Harper, it's clear that Rondon has significantly grown these past two weeks. An inside fastball to Harper? A late-breaking slider on a 1-2 pitch to Zimmerman?

Not only is Rondon effectively mixing his pitches, he appears to have much-improved "pitchability" -- a term Leyland coined to describe a pitcher's plan off attack.

"He's used his pitches a little bit more," Leyland said, keeping his answers short in an effort to downplay his recent success.

And, it's more than just pitchability. It's confidence, too. Rondon seems more comfortable now than he did just two weeks ago. Though, Leyland wasn't willing to admit it Monday.

"I can't answer that," he said when asked if he's recognized a boost in Rondon's attitude. "I haven't seen any change in him from the first time, when he didn't do too well, to the time he's doing now. And, that's probably a good thing."

Leyland was careful in choosing his words, simply saying the 22-year-old has "been a little better."

It's a wise move by Leyland, who has watched Tigers fans ride an emotional rollercoaster while following Rondon's erratic spring. Frankly, there's just no sense in rushing to judgment.

But, what is certain is that Rondon is pitching significantly better his last five innings than his first four. And, should he continue to impress down the stretch, not only could he win that vacant closer role this spring, there's a good chance he could keep it.